Nut-lock.



No. 677,603. Patented July 2, |90l..

T. E. SH'OBTELL.

NUT LOCK.

(Applipation med. Mar. 30, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES THOMAS E. Sl-IORTELL, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

l NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,603, dated July 2,1901.

Application filed March 30, 1900. Serial No. 10,750. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. SHORTELL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered new anduseful Improvements in Nut-Locks, of which the following is aspecification.

In the accompanying drawings, which make part of this specification,Figure I is a plan view of the nut-lock when locked. Fig. II is a likeview, but showing the tool inserted to lift the end of the spring; Fig.III, a like view showing the position of the parts after the end of thespring has been released from its groove. Fig. IV isaside elevation.Fig. V is a detail of the spring.

The purpose of my invention, generally stated, is to devise a nut-lockwhich shall be uniform in its action, permanent in its structure,practically impossible to be unlocked by a jarring or other accident,and yet easy to lock and unlock when so desired.

In the accompanying drawings,which make part of this specification, Ihave illustrated the same as applied to a section of a rail with twofish-plates.

In the several views, 2 is a bolt having a head 3 and the usual nut 4.

5 is the rail-section.

6 and 7 are the fish-plates. One or both of the fish-plates are providedwith shoulders a a in groove a to suit one end of a spring, ashereinafter described. If the nut-lock is always applied on the sameside, only one of the fish-plates need be grooved.

8 is a stiff coil-spring interposed between the nut 4 and the fish-plate6. One end of the spring is extended and bent at 8, so as to be on ashoulder a, adapted to lie in the groove a in the fish-plate 6. Theother end of the spring 8 is bent upwardly, so as to look as a lock or acatch against any backward movement of the nut4 as said end abutsagainst one side of said nut.

9 is any suitable hand tool or pry fitted to be placed under the end 8of the spring and lever the same from the. shoulder a. of the groove a,as hereinafter described.

The operation of the device is as follows: The bolt is thrust throughthe rail and fishplates. The spring 8 is slipped over the projectin gend of the bolt, with the end 5: lying flat in its seat a in thefish-plate 6. The nut 4 is then turned down until the spring is understrong compression, which effectually prevents the end 8 from liftingfrom the shoulder a of the groove a and at the same time increases thelocking-surface of the end S against the side of the nut V 4. As thespring is stiff and strong in cross-section,the upturned spring of theend8 effectually pre' vents the return of the not 4 as long as the partsremain in their relative positions just described.

When it is desired to release thelocked nut, any suitable pry, such asshown at 9,is inserted under the end 8 and said end raised up on theedge of the groove. The nut can then be turned back, releasing thetension on the spring until the locking end S fails to strike againstthe side of the nut and hold the same from a reverse movement.

It will be observed that either of the shoulders a ct of the groove aacts asa seat to keep the spring from turning in either a forward or"backward movement. The shape and depth of this seat can obviously begreatly modified.

Having described my invention, I claim In a nut-lock, the combination ofa bolt, a nut, a fish-plate and a locking-spring, one end of said springseated horizontally on a shoulder projection in the groove of saidfishplate and the other end of said spring being upturned to act as adog against the return movement of the nut when the spring iscompressed.

Signed at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, this 24th day of March, 1900.

THOMAS E. SI-IOBTELL.

Witnesses:

WM. L. PIERCE, L. D. IAMS.

